When the Ebola virus broke out in Liberia in 2014, most Liberians did not believe Ebola was real. Due to massive corruption and consequently a severe mistrust of the government, the population didn't trust the government and their warnings about a mysterious, deadly disease. A variety of rumors surfaced from theories that the Liberian government was using it as a ploy to get more money from the international community to harvesting human organs.
To break through the gossip, we worked with UNICEF and the Liberian Ministry of Health to produce a Public Service Announcement (PSA) with a broad swath of respected and well-known Liberian leaders, from Muslim Imams to Hip Co Artists to the the President of Liberia, all sharing the same message: Ebola is real.
The final PSA was shared through Liberian television, in video clubs across the country, and online through social media. It was the first film where Liberian political, traditional, religious and community leaders, along with artists and government officials all came together making it impossible to believe that one political party or leader was manufacturing an elaborate hoax.
Published on Aug 6, 2014
Client: UNICEF